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Bush Panel Has 2 Views on Embryonic Cloning (Rick Weiss, July 11, 2002, Washington Post)

The mix of viewpoints in the final report, to be released by the President's Bioethics Council today, reflects the quandary that has stymied the Senate for months as it has debated whether to ban the cloning of human embryos for research. Advocates on both sides of the Senate debate yesterday maintained that the report offered support for their respective positions, a rhetorical crossfire that only added to the uncertainty of whether Congress will pass any cloning legislation this term.

Supporters of the research argue that cloned embryos appear to be ideal sources of potentially curative stem cells and could serve as valuable research tools for the study of genetic diseases. Opponents say they believe it is unethical to create human embryos with the express intention of destroying them, and that alternative avenues of research should be pursued. Bush has said repeatedly that he opposes the cloning of human embryos and he has urged Congress to ban the practice.

In January, Bush named experts in science, philosophy, ethics and law to look into cloning and related issues. Council members have said they oppose the creation of cloned babies. But rather than making a single recommendation to the president on the ethics of making cloned human embryos for research, the council's report offers two competing opinions, according to committee members and others familiar with its contents.

One opinion, supported by 10 of the committee's 18 members, calls for a four-year moratorium on the creation of cloned human embryos. The other, favored by seven members, calls for the research to go forward with appropriate oversight. One council member abstained.

We've already amply rehearsed the reason why we think such research is unwise. But, in light of the fact that the panel was unanimous that reproductive cloning, which is indistinguishable from other forms of cloning, should be banned and that even the dissenters argue for strict control over that research which they would allow, isn't it necessary for these cloning supporters to endorse a moratorium until a legal framework is in place that satisfies at least their own moral concerns? To oppose such a pause, even after having identified forms of research that you think are unethical, is to give tacit support to this immoral science.

MORE :
*Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry (The President's Council on Bioethics, July 2002)

*Charles Murtaugh, Beantown's bio-blogging Bush-basher, who has been consistently fair and thoughtful about the issues surrounding cloning, even though we often disagree with him, has posted his thoughts. He has the great advantage of actually understanding the science involved instead of talking out of his hat, like moi.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 11, 2002 5:11 PM